Lay motion for axminster looms



May 7, 1946.

N. FLETCHER LAY MOTION FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIJJIIHII Illllllllllllllllllllvr I EX; 2/ 3 Filed March 13, 1945 FIG. 1

INVENTOR NoRMA'N FLETCHER ATTORNEY Patented May 7, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAY MOTION FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS Norman Fletcher, Worcester, Mass, asslgnor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts 7 Application March 13, 1945, Serial No. 582,562

r 6 Claims.

This invention relatesto improvements in driving mechanism for the lays of Axminster looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide improved means by which both the backward and forward motions of the lay may be transmitted positively from the driving means.

In Axminster looms it is customary to, drive the lay forwardly by a positive movement driven from a cam and cam lever, but the reverse or backward motion is effected by means of springs. It not infrequently happens that these springs fail in their operation due either to faults in themselves or sticking of parts in the connections between the springs and the lay. It is an important object of my present invention to eliminate the previously'used springs. and move the lay by conjugate cams one of which moves the lay forwardly and theother of which moves the lay rearwardly.

Inthe usual three-shot Axminster loom it is necessary to use a cam having three points which differ from each other due to the fact that the various functions of the lay during the three pick cycle require the lay beat-up to vary from pick to pick as to extent of motion, length of dwelland time of operation. It is a further object of my invention to make the twocams in such manner that they can be connectedtogether when in one position only with respect to each.

other. In this way the corresponding parts of the two cams will always operate the cam levers at the same time and there will be no possibility of a long dwell point on one cam coinciding with a short dwell recess on the other cam.

It is still another object of my present invention to make the cam levers which cooperate with the conjugate pair of cams in such a way that'relative adjustments of the lever rolls can be made with respect to the cams and with respect to each other. In this way a nicety of adjustment can be obtained which will in effect eliminate all objectionable looseness or backlash.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of H) has a breast beam I I provided with a rearwardly extending cloth board l2 the rear edge of which may be provided with a series of notches or teeth l3 one of which is indicated in Fig. 1. Front and back knifebars l4 and I5 are operated by levers I6 and II, respectively, driven in the usual manner. The transporting chain for the tube frames is designated at 18 and one ofthe tube frames T is shown in thedown or ported in usual manner on a transfer arm l9 raised and lowered by a connector 20 and rocked about its pivot 2| by a link 22.

Thelay L is mounted on levers supported by a lay shaft26 extending across the loom and supported in suitable bearings. The lay may be made in the usual manner and has clamped thereto a series of-reed dents 21. Each lever 25 has a-depending arm 28 connected to a rearwardly extending actuating rod '29. Rod 29 is connected to a lever 30 having a roll 3| to cooperate with cam 32 which may be similar to cams heretofore used. This cam has three points 35, 36 and 31, and is mounted on a driven shaft 38 23 forming part of the loom.

The cam points 35, 36 and 31 ordinarily are not identical, at least one of the points or 31 being somewhat lower than the point 36, and the points being spaced not exactly 120 apart but at distances varying by several degrees from /3 of a circle. The point 36 is longer than either of the points 35 or 31 and is that part of the cam 32 which moves the reed 26 to the foremost position thereof when the tube frame T is in the tuft forming position shown in Fig. 1. When a tube frame is disconnected from its chain it first moves down to wipe in the tufts of yarn and is then given a partial upward movement. The lay is then beaten up .by long point 36 and the reed. is held in its foremost position to pinch the picks of filling against the fell of the fabric and thereby hold the tufts frictionally to permit thetube frame to be raised sufficiently to draw ofl? enough yarn for the next row of tufts produced from the tube frame. After this operation, known as pulling off, is completed the lay moves rearwardly preparatory to the next strok of the weft needle not shown.

' In certain types of Axminster looms it is customary to give the picks of filling which are laid immediately after a tuft forming operation only a partial forward beat-up so that they will lie behind the hooks l3. In orderto effect this result the reed must be given a forward stroke 5 somewhat less than that corresponding to point tuft forming position. This tube frame is sup- 36 and it is for this reason that the points and 31 are somewhat lower than the point 35. The tuft forming operation during which the tube frame is dipped ordinarily requires more back center dwell of the lay than is required for the shots of filling laid on non-tuft forming beats of the loom, and in order to provide this additional time it is customary to space the point 36 farther from one of the points 35 or 31 than from the other.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide a second cam 40 and a second cam lever 4|. This latter lever is pivoted on the rod 52 which also supports lever 30. Cam 40 has three recesses 45, and 41 which correspond respectively to points 35, 36 and 31. Recess 45 will be slightly deeper than the other recesses because of the fact that point 36 is slightly higher than the points 35 and 31. The recesses in addition to being of unequal depth are also unequally spaced angularly in a manner corresponding to the spacing of points 35, 36 and 31, and each recess has a dwell of the same length as that of the corresponding point. Thus recess 46 has a relatively long dwell, whereas recesses 45 and l! have comparatively short dwells.

Lever 4| is provided with the longitudinal slot 59 through which extends a stud 5| on which is mounted is mounted a roll 52 for the cam 40. Lever 4| also has a transverse slot 55 through which passes a bolt 55 secured to an arm 51 on the hub 58 of lever 30. 'By means of the slots and it is possible to adjust the position of the roll 5| radially with respect to the pivot 42 and angularly with respect to roll 3|.

Because of the fact that both the points and the recesses of the cams must be correctly positioned so that roll 3| will engage the various points at the same time that roll 52 enters the corresponding recess it is necessary to make some provision for assembling the two cams in only one position. In order to accomplish this result I provide tWo bolts 60 and 5! which pass through closely fitting holes in the two cams 32 and 40 as suggested in Fig. 2. These two bolts, or any similar attaching means, will be located on some 1 line other than a diameter passing through the center of shaft 38. The cam 32 has a hub 62 which would interfere with assembling the cams in reverse order even if the key 63 did not serve this purpose. Because of the hub and the loca tion of bolts 60 and 5| it is impossible to assemble the cams in any position except the correct one. While two bolts 50 and 6| are shown, others can be used so long as they are related in the same general manner as that described for the two bolts shown.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided conjugate cams for driving the lay of an Axminster loom positively both backwardly and forwardly, and it will also be seen thatthe cams are so made that they can be assembled in only one position in which corresponding points or operating areas and recesses are positioned for simultaneous cooperation with their respective levers. It will also be seen that the adjustments for lever 4| and roll 52 permit a setting of the latter roll in such position with respect to roll 3| that there will be practically no backlash during rotation of the cams.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In an Axminster loom having a reciprocating lay and an actuating shaft, a cam on said shaft having three angularly spaced operating areas, a lever arm cooperating with said cam and rocked by said areas as the shaft rotates, a sec ond cam having three angularly spaced recesses corresponding to said operating areas, a second lever arm cooperating with said recesses and operatively connected to the first lever arm, means connecting said lever arms operatively to the lay, and separate fastening means clamping said cams together, said means located on some line transverse of the cams other than a diameter of the cams passing through said shaft.

2. In an Axminster loom having a reciprocating lay and an actuating shaft, a pair of lever arms operatively connected to the lay, two cams mounted on the shaft, one cam for each of said arms, one of said cams having angularly spaced operating areas of unequal lengths and the other cam having angularly spaced recesses of unequal length corresponding to said operating areas, each operating area and the corresponding recess being of substantially the same length, and two separate means fastening said cams together in such position that said levers have simultaneous cooperation with corresponding recesses and operating areas, said fastening means lying on a line transverse of the cams and other than a diameter of the cam passing through the center of the shaft.

3. In an Axminster loom having a reciprocating lay and an actuating shaft, a pair of lever arms operatively connected to the lay, a cam on the shaft for one of said lever arms having spaced operating areas of different lengths, a hub on one side of said cam extending along the shaft, a second cam on the other side of the first named cam for the other lever arm and having angularly spaced recesses corresponding to said operating areas, and means to fasten said cams together, said means so constructed that the cams can be fastened together in one position only, namely. the position in which the lever arms will simultaneously cooperate with corresponding operat' ing areas and recesses.

4. In an Axminster loom having a reciprocating lay and an actuating shaft, a pair of levers operatively connected to the lay, a cam on the shaft for one of said levers, said cam having angularly spaced operating areas of different lengths, a hub on one side of said cam extending along a shaft, a second cam for the other lever located on the opposite side of the first named cam, and a pair of means clamping said cams together at points so located that no diameter of the cams can pass through both of said points.

5. In an Axminster loom havin a reciprocating lay and an actuating shaft, a pair of conjugate carns secured to said shaft and rotating therewith, one of said cams having operating areas spaced angularly therearound and of different lengths, and the other cam having recesses spaced angularly therearound and corresponding to the operating areas, a lever operatively related to said one cam and operating by the latter to move the lay positively in one direction, a second lever operatively related to the second cam to move the lay positively in the opposite direction, and means to connect one of said levers to the other lever in angularly adjusted position with respect thereto to cause said levers to have simultaneous cooperation with corresponding operating areas and recesses.

6. In an Axminster loom having a reciprocating lay and an actuating shaft, a pair of conjugate cams fastened to the shaft, a lever arm o0- operating with one of said cams, and a second lever arm cooperating with the other cam, said lever arms being operatively connected to the lay and cooperating with the cams to move the lay positively backwardly and forwardly, means to adjust one of said lever arms angularly with respect to the other lever arm, and a cam roll on one of said arms held in radially adjusted position thereon for cooperation with the associated cam, whereby said lever arms simultaneously cooperate with corresponding operating areas and recesses.

NORMAN FLETCHER. 

